Waking Dreamers, Trinity Soul
by Roe Dusk
Summary: Shinjiro didn't die in Persona 3, and this changes the fate of Trinity Soul just slightly for the better.


I watched Trinity Soul, maybe 3 years ago now, and wrote this fanfic idea right after. It combines the two main ideas I was having at the time: 1-That if the Female Protagonist of Persona 3 could save Shinji by talking to him, but not dating, there's no reason Minato couldn't just find the time to talk him out of dying as well. 2-That Ryu should not have died at the end and left his brothers alone.

So, yea I combined them into what I then dubbed the 'Shinjiro saves people by living fic'.

I found it last summer and made a quick effort to edit it, but didn't have time to post it before college came back with a vengeance. Now, I quickly reviewed it for typos and rushed to post it. Because it's been far too long since I've posted something.

I apologize again for not being on recently. I lost my password for a while, and haven't had time to write around homework. I hope this fic can tide some of my few readers over, and the rest will have something to look forward to this summer when I finally have free time again!

* * *

**Waking Dreamers**

* * *

Police Chief Sanada staggered into his apartment living room, barely managing to catch the light switch before he tossed his coat at the desk and sank into his desk chair.

He had helped the Kanzato brothers check Ryo into a hospital after the near calamity they'd all lived through, only to receive a call that informed him Inui had been badly injured and was now his responsibility since his bosses had all been found suffering from Apathy Syndrome.

Shin had caught him looking haggard on his way out of the waiting room and had dragged him and Jun to a nearby eatery, insisting that they had to be careful to remember to eat in times of stress. Sanada laughed. Getting scolded about eating habits by a kid, what would Shinji say?

Then he sobered. Nothing, Shinji would probably just look at him and say nothing. He'd barely said anything since… Since they realized Minato died to save them.

Sanada turned to the pictures on his desk. The first one was of him, Shinji, and Mitsuru, the newly formed SEES club. They looked so young, too young to be playing hero, just like Shin and his friends. But who was he to talk?

The next picture was of a few years later, after the new team had defeated all 12 Shadows. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at it. True, Shinji had been in the hospital when the picture was taken, and Aegis was being brainwashed by Ikutski, but it was the team as they had been, not posing. He _did_ feel bad about punching Junpei in the only picture Mitsuru had of her father's smile, but, as far as he could recall, Junpei had deserved it.

The last picture was bittersweet. The whole team on the school roof on graduation day, gathered around Aegis and their sleeping leader. Shinji had made it this time, and he was smiling. They hadn't realized until an hour later that Minato would never wake up.

It had hit Shinji the hardest, the softie he was, but he put on a brave face. But even that failed him when they found out Minato had sacrificed himself for them. That he'd known he was going to die.

Shinji told Sanada once, before they'd found out about the sacrifice, that Minato hadn't exactly been friendly. The kid barely talked. But he hadn't let Shinji hide behind an act. He'd seen through it and, somehow, that had made Shinji talk about it.

Minato had listened, and replied in return, forcing Shinji to realize that people would be hurt if he died. Shinji had forced himself to accept this, and, though he'd still been willing to give his life for Amano, he'd fought to live afterwards and managed to recover. The thought that Minato had gone against his own advice, had chosen to die, shook Shinji's resolve.

No matter if it was for the good of the world, their leader should have held on, or shared the burden, and not left the people he cared about behind.

After a moment of melancholy, it occurred to Sanada that Mitsuru would be hearing about the escalated strange occurrences any minute now, and he should call her before she decided to fly over and take charge herself. The earmarks of a Persona incident would earn her immediate attention.

* * *

In the next few days, while everyone was still running around in a panic after the near cataclysm, the door to Ryo's hospital room slid open and Shinjiro Arigaki stepped in. Closing the door behind him, he made his way over to the bed and looked down at its unconscious occupant.

Time ticked on and he settled into the seat left for visitors, watching breath fog the oxygen mask and listening to the nurses and carts going by.

After at least a half an hour he stood angrily, it was so similar. Another one of his comrades was just going to fade away and die. He'd never admit it out loud, but after Aki forced him to join the new team, he'd come to care for them in spite of himself. He shook his head.

"Wake up Ryo," his own voice surprised him, but he kept talking, "You'll hurt people if you leave. So stop making trouble, and wake up."

He stood, intending to leave, but hesitated for a long moment. He felt he had to wait for a moment, watching his comrade, knowing nothing was happening and he was probably going crazy. But he waited anyway. Unsurprisingly, him being patient for once actually paid off (ok Aki, get out of my head). Ryo's eyes closed tighter for a moment and he coughed weakly.

"About time," Shinjiro told the younger man, "You've cause Aki and your brothers a lot of grief." Ryo opened his eyes weakly and looked up at Shinjiro.

"Sorry," he murmured quietly.

Shinjiro shook his head, turning towards the door, "Just don't do it again. I'll see you around."

Ryo watched him go, then turned back to look at the ceiling. _You could at least call a nurse, _he sighed inwardly. But, oddly, his 3rd, or was it 4th?, time hearing Arigaki talk almost made him want to smile. Almost.

* * *

Shinjiro walked aimlessly for a while, and eventually found himself walking along the sea wall, above the beach. He paused to look out over the sea.

_Whale, huh? _he mused, looking over the water. When he turned to continue on, there was a blue haired man sitting on the sea wall who had definitely not been there before.

Shinjiro blinked in surprise and stopped. Minato turned to look at him, older than he had last seen him, but still the same, and gestured for him to sit on the wall beside him. Now, any number of people Shinjiro knew would be freaking out by now, but he figured that, after all he'd been through, this wasn't actually all that strange. He walked over and sat down next to his former leader.

They watched the waves for a little while. Then Minato spoke up softly, "It's too late you know."

Shinjiro sighed, "I know."

"I hurt people when I left, just like you said."

"Mhmm."

Minato sighed, "Sometimes it's better to hurt the people you care about than to watch them die." Shinjiro didn't say anything. He knew that, he'd even nearly done that, but still…

Minato looked out to sea, "If there had been any other way. I would have done it."

Shinjiro nodded, leaning forward, "Good." That was all he needed to hear, after all this time. Minato smiled quietly and they watched the waves for a while.

Eventually Minato spoke again, "She said she finally understood what humanity wanted."

Shinjiro glanced over at him in surprise.

"To late for me to live, but it was alright," Minato nodded, "Because she made the Whale for us. And end, without oblivion, unless you want to forget." He stood, facing the sea as Shinjiro watched him, "No matter how long you live, everyone will be there, waiting for you."

He turned back and Shinjiro mulled that over.

"No matter how long?"

Minato smiled and nodded, the wind blowing his hair.

Shinjiro smiled back, "Alright, if you say so."

A wave crashed on the beach and Minato was gone. But Shinjiro sat there a while longer, just listening to the waves.

* * *

Akihiko Sanada hurried into the hospital, wanting to verify Ryo's awakening before he called the brothers out of school. A nurse politely showed him the way and he arrived at the room breathless.

Walking in, he found Ryo sitting upright. The younger man nodded slightly in greeting, moving as little as had to, "Sanada."

Akihiko returned the nod and couldn't help but smile, "I'm glad you're back. We were all worried." He stepped up next to the visitor's chair and hung his jacket across the back, "How are you feeling."

A slight shrug, "I've been better."

Akihiko chuckled, "That bad, huh?" He shook his head, "I'll be right back, I just have to be in the waiting room to call your brothers."

Ryo looked away thoughtfully, almost in pain, but he didn't protest, so Akihiko turned to leave.

"Arigaki was here," the younger man said suddenly, stopping Akihiko in his tracks.

"Shinji?" he asked, turning back incredulously.

Ryo nodded, looking into space as he spoke, "He all but ordered me not to die."

"H-he did?!"

Ryo turned to look at the older man, "He left as soon as I woke up." Akihiko could have sworn he was amused under that detached look. He sighed, and that was just like Shinji to leave before he could catch up.

Ryo didn't have anything else to say, so after another moment Akihiko left to call the brothers before returning to sit with Ryo.

* * *

When the reunion started Ryo's mask actually slipped enough to show surprise as his brothers hugged him, and Akihiko began to feel like an intruder.

Leaving to give them some privacy, he decided he could use a walk and headed outside. Stopping for a moment at the edge of the beach, he stared out to sea. "It's over, huh?"

Turning to walk away he spotted a flash of maroon out of the corner of his eye. A ways further on, sitting on a bench by a playground, watching the sea, was Shinjiro.

Akihiko walked over, "I heard you woke Kanzato yesterday. His brothers certainly thank you for that."

Shinjiro looked over at him for a moment, but didn't reply. Akihiko sighed.

"You haven't changed, have you Shinji?"

He looked out to sea. Shinjiro must have seen Ryo dying, fading like Minato had, and called him back. Akihiko had been sure that would have helped somehow, but… He sighed again, before catching the tail end of a statement.

"…aller."

"What?" he asked staring at his friend, unsure of what he'd heard.

Shinjiro looked up at him, "I've gotten taller."

Akihiko stared, then couldn't help but laugh, sinking into the seat beside his foster brother.

"Under stress much?" Shinjiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

Akihiko could only nod happily, "You have no idea."

"Maybe I do," the other replied smugly.

"That's right," Aki realized, "How did you know Kanzato was hospitalized?"

"It was in those reports of yours, on the day of. Along with the fact that Inui went and got himself injured and Kubo kicked the bucket. Stupid bastard."

"He's not dead, really," Akihiko replied automatically and Shinji shrugged. Then the silver-haired policeman laughed, "You read the group reports?"

Shinjiro looked at him, "Yea."

"That's good news." Shinji hadn't been avoiding them, not completely.

"Aki, I think you need sleep, you're acting weird. What have you been eating?"

* * *

2 weeks later and he'd finally managed to get through the backlog of paperwork, so Akihiko stopped by the dorm to check on Inui. Then he hesitated a moment before heading over to the Kanzato house to check on Ryo.

Stepping inside he was struck by the smell of cooking. Curious he slipped off his shoes and coat before following his nose inside.

He stopped in the living room doorway and blinked.

Shinjiro stood in the kitchen calling across the living room to Ryo, who was set up with his computer in the study.

"If you're an invalid you should act like an invalid!" Shinji snapped, "And go back to bed. Besides, I'm your elder; you should just listen to me and stop complaining!"

"I'm not pushing my recovery," Ryo retorted sharply, annoyance creeping through the cracks in his mask "And I would be fine without you here monitoring every meal I eat." He turned back to the computer, "Besides, if I stared at my ceiling any longer, I would either have gone mad or taken relocating into my own hands."

"Which is the only reason I haven't dragged you back upstairs," Shinji retorted. Then he cursed as a timer went off and returned to the kitchen.

Jun was seated in front of the TV, watching some weekend cartoon. Shin looked up from his seat at the living room table where he was doing his schoolwork, then waved with a wry smile, "A little crazy, isn't it Sanada-san?"

Jun looked over for a moment and waved before his attention was once again captured by the TV. Akihiko waved back and stepped inside.

Ryo looked over and nodded as Akihiko entered the study. "You'll have to excuse me for not getting up. I'm Under Orders," he said looking over at Shinjiro, "since I can't quite walk on my own yet."

"I'm just happy to see you sitting up," Akihiko said and Ryo grunted mildly before turning back to his computer.

"Can you bring me up to date on the runnings of the department? Will we be working together now?"

Akihiko considered for a moment before nodding. He pulled up a chair and sat down, starting on the current cases and a few of the old ones that had recently been wrapped up.

"Hey!" Shinjiro complained, sticking his head out of the kitchen, "Don't encourage him. He should be taking it easy!"

"But if I don't do this now, I'll have to bring him up to speed later, plus everything that happens this month!" Akihiko protested.

Shinjiro sighed, "I give up, stay sick!" He stormed back into the kitchen.

Akihiko smiled and turned back to Ryo.

Shun laughed under his breath as he continued on his homework. It was good to be home.


End file.
